Monthly Archive for April, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Published on April 30, 2009 in Movies. Tags: , , .

Emerging as one of the most popular comic book characters ever, Wolverine quickly became the favorite and most popular character within the X-Men movie trilogy. Judging from Marvel’s actions with Wolverine in the comic book world, pure market saturation, it’s only logical that Fox would want to bleed Wolverine for all he’s worth. The result is the first X-Men Origins movie, appropriately titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The story of Wolverine was never going to be simple. The movie version differed considerably from the comic version, so producers decided to base the origin film on the Origins mini-series. Unfortunately this didn’t help in the confusion since the movie openly contradicts events from the prior three X-Men movies, which I’ll discuss in a bit. For now let’s focus on the plot.

The movie opens in 1854, where a young James Howlett, also known as Logan or Wolverine, kills a man whom he believes murdered his father. Turns out that Logan is a mutant who has sharp bony claws that can protrude from his knuckles at will. Scared and confused, Howlett makes a run for it into the Canadian wilderness, but following close behind is the young Victor Creed. Stopping Howlett, Creed explains to him that they’re brothers and they have to stick together if they want to survive. On the run for murder, they flee together and do what any fugitive with super-powers would do: join the army and fight in endless wars. The opening credit sequence shows an adult Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Creed (Liev Schreiber) fight in the American Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam.

Following an altercation in Vietnam, the brothers are recruited by General William Stryker (Danny Huston) for a top secret Black Ops squad consisting of super-powered mutants. Joining the brothers in Team X is Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), John Wraith (Will i Am), Frederick Dukes, aka The Blob (Kevin Durand), David North, aka Agent Zero (Daniel Henney), and Chris Bradley, aka The Bolt (Dominic Monaghan).

After an operation in Nigeria where Stryker orders the team to kill innocent civilians, Logan refuses and quits the team. The objective of the mission? Well it was to find the source of the indestructible adamantium, which according to the movie is a meteor rock from outer space. Fast forward a few years and we find Logan working as a lumberjack back in Canada and living a peaceful life with Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Being Logan you know something bad is bound to happen and it does when Sabertooth apparently kills Logan’s love, Silverfox. Wanting revenge, Logan and Creed battle with the end result being a battered Logan accepting Strykers offer from entrance into the Weapon X program. A program that will lace his skeleton with adamantium, making him even more powerful. Before the process of bonding the metal to his bones, Logan is issued new dog tags, and takes the name Wolverine in memory of a story Kayla told him before she was killed.

Wolverine is born and his life quickly takes a turn for the worse, after escaping the Weapon X program. On the run, Wolverine sets out to find Sabertooth and stop him and find Stryker. Along the way he runs into former teammates the Blob and Wraith as well as some new faces like the Cajun Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit (Taylor Kitsch). After finding the location of Strykers secret base, which just happens to be Three Mile Island, Wolverine sets out for his revenge. Unfortunately for him, the Weapon X program has moved on to Weapon XI, where they’ve taken Deadpools body and spliced in mutant powers from a host of other mutants, making him the most powerful mutant in the world. Much to his surprise, someone from his past is still alive and working for Stryker. After a couple nice fights, of which I won’t spoil since they’re pretty revealing, Wolverine comes out on top but with a price. It seems that while an adamantium bullet won’t kill Wolverine, it will give him amnesia. So that’s how his amnesia from the first X-Men movie is explained.

Now how does the movie play out? Well to be honest it’s not too bad. If you put aside the ridiculous history they create, or rather destroyed, then you have a fun movie. The action is jam packed with excitement and it’s nice seeing a large number of mutants on screen. The movie is strongest during its first half with director Gavin Hood focusing on characterization. Unfortunately the last act is the films major weakness. It’s rushed and at times defies its own logic and planning. You leave feeling like there should have been more, but instead we’re left with an amnesiac roaming the earth.

Acting wise, the cast did a solid job for what they were given. Hugh Jackman puts in a good performance, going from brooding to berserker rage easily. Danny Huston is a good actor, but the role given to him was weak. Unlike Brian Cox, who plays an aging but captivating Stryker in X2, he wasn’t evil enough to be disliked, nor sympathetic enough to be liked. Will i Am played the teleporting Wraith but was probably the worst choice for the role. To be blunt, he was bland. His lines came off like he was phoning it in and he exuded no emotions. Thankfully Ryan Reynolds was anything but bland as Deadpool. Reynolds’ natural wit and delivery suit the merc with a mouth nicely, while lightening the tone of the film a bit. Unfortunately his screen time, along with Durand and Monoghan, were severely limited so we couldn’t get enough of the good stuff.

One character I was anxiously looking forward to seeing was Gambit. Unfortunately he was used merely an excuse to slow down Wolverine’s progress and add another character’s name on the roster. While I would have loved to have seen more of the Cajun in action, I found him to be somewhat of a disappointment. The biggest thing that stuck out was his Texan drawl. Now being a Cajun you’d expect a Cajun accent, but it was nowhere to be found. This leads me to a few other gripes that I had, the re-imagining of characters backgrounds. Yes it may be nitpicking, but is it really so hard to stick to the source material? Sabertooth was never Wolverines brother, Emma Frost was never Silverfox’s sister and Cyclops was never captured by Stryker when he was a teenager. These are just some of the things that felt like laziness. There’s no reason not to use the material out there considering that it’s compelling enough. It should also be noted that it goes against some of the things set in the previous X-Men movies.

At least the cinematography wasn’t lazy. The film looks great, from New Zealand’s beautiful locations, the Canadian Rockies and the striking sets at Sydney’s Cockatoo Island. Gavin Hood and his crew did an outstanding job with the look of the movie.

Being an origin story, X-Men Origins: Wolverine suffers from the storytelling. While the first half was good, the script was rushed with too much going on in the end. It could have easily been a longer movie, and it would have made for a better one. Overall though, it’s not a bad movie. It’s quite good, if you don’t care about the cannon set in the past 30 years. It does its job, but how well depends on what you want out of it.

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Caprica

Published on April 28, 2009 in Idiotbox (aka TV). Tags: , , , .

In this day in age it’s not surprising to see a spinoff of a popular television series. Why come up with something new when you have an existing fanbase you can tap into and be almost guaranteed an instant viewership. Unfortunately the spinoffs don’t always live up to the hype or are simply not as good as the original series. With Sci Fi’s latest series, Caprica, fans are fortunate that the production team behind Battlestar Galactica are involved and have made sure that the new series is just as good as the show it’s spun from.

Set 58 years before the fall of the 12 Colonies, Caprica is a prequel that explores the events that led to the destruction of humanity. It’s the story of two families, the Graystones and the Adamas, and how they deal with a tragedy that influences the events that lead to the creation of Cylons. Two families that influence the path that humanity takes in the creation of artificial intelligence. Caprica is similar to its predecessor then many would believe. It’s all about the characters and the story.

Produced as a backdoor pilot, Caprica focuses on the families of Joseph Adama, played by Esai Morales, and Daniel Graystone, played by Eric Stolz. Yes, the same Joseph Adama that is father to Galactica’s Captain William Adama and just like his son, Joseph is a man with flaws. An immigrant from Tauron, Adama finds a home on Caprica and works his way up the social ladder as a lawyer. Unfortunately his ties to home run too deep and he finds himself in bed with Tauron organized crime, of which his brother is deeply involved in. One thing that was extremely interesting was the deep look into the divide between the Colonies and its people. We get a real sense of the arrogance of Capricans and their discriminatory outlook on people from other planets. It’ll be interesting to see it more fully explored.

Graystone is the head of one of the biggest corporations within the 12 Colonies. A brilliant scientist, he’s currently working on a robotic soldier for the Caprican military, a soldier that eventually becomes the Cylon and the destroyer of humanity. Unfortunately tragedy befalls on Adama and Graystone when a religious zealot performs a suicide bombing on a train within Caprica City, killing hundreds. The victims include Graystone’s daughter, Zoe, and Adama’s wife and daughter. Unbeknown to Graystone, his daughter Zoe is a computer genius and has managed to deposit her consciousness within a virtual world. It’s Gratstone’s ambitious attempt to transplant his daughters consciousness within one of his Cylons that will be the focus of the series.

Caprica has a clean and polished look compared to its predecessor. It’s a world much like ours, with technology that wouldn’t look out of place in this day in age. Many of the costumes have a 1950′s feel to it, probably to evoke that the series takes place in the past and to also align it with a time of wonderment and the start of a technological boom. Caprica looks and feels like a society that integrates its progressive technology into a livable existence.

Stolz and Morales do an excellent job with their roles, bringing just the right amount of obsession and sympathy to their characters. Alessandra Torresani does a great job as Zoe Graystone and rounding out the cast is Paula Malcomson as Graystone, Daniel’s wife Amanda, Sasha Roiz as Adama’s brother Sam Adama and Sina Najafi as the young Bill Adama. The entire cast put in an excellent effort and must be commended for their work.

There were a couple things that did bother me, but hopefully it can be explained as the series progresses. For example, we meet the young Bill Adama when he’s 11 years old and the series claims that it’s taking place 58 years prior to the second Cylon War. That would make Adama 69 years old when Galactica premiered. Now I don’t know about the physiology then, but I don’t think Adama is 69 years old. I would have placed him in his late 50s. The other thing was the use of the Tauron language. Now I know this is nitpicking, but according to previous Galactica canon everyone spoke the same language. The differing colonies had different accents, but it was the same language. Lastly was the projection of Tauron as being a poor colony. Again, in previous lore, Tauron was one of the wealthy and education colonies along with Caprica. This is all nitpicking at this point since the series really hasn’t started and been given a chance to explain things.

Overall, Caprica was very impressive. The inevitable exploration of the deeper themes that ran through Galactica, from family dynamics, religious fanaticism and racism will make for an intriguing series. Caprica will be grounded in human drama and that will only make it shine. There’s plenty of time until Caprica premiers on Sci Fi, with an expected date sometime in 2010. So until then, rent this. You won’t be disappointed.

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Viking

Published on April 27, 2009 in Comics. Tags: , , .

Vikings have had somewhat of a resurgence in comics with the increased popularity of Thor, Northlanders and now Vikings. From writer Ivan Brandon and artist Nic Klein, Viking is Image comics latest ongoing series. While you might be thinking to yourself, another viking comic I’d be remiss to point out that all the current viking comics cover different genres. With Thor you’ve got the superhero genre, Northlanders is a historically accurate series based on differing story arc focusing on different characters during different eras. With Viking you’ve got a comic focusing on two brothers who are the focus of the blood soaked premier.

Viking is a tale of two thieving brothers, Finn and Egil, murdering and plundering their way through life. Unfortunately their actions have repercussions that affect not only themselves but those around them. Repercussions that could drive them into an even more murderous rampage. We’re also introduced to King Bram the Quiet and his daughter Anniki, who you can almost guarantee will cross paths with the brothers. While no specific story line has been set yet, the book manages to introduce everyone and set up the various personalities in what’s sure to be an exciting and violent book.

Brandon does a great job with the dialogue, having his characters speak like classic vikings with just enough modernity to make it easily understandable. The characters have clearly defined roles, and more importantly their characters who are already fleshed out enough that you become interested in what makes them tick. Klein’s artwork is perfect for this series. The art is dark and gritty, yet colored in bright vivid colors. We’re also treated to the sporadic use of Benday dots, something done frequently many years ago. His artwork really compliments the story and brings it to another level.

Overall, Viking is well worth its cover price. The story is excellent and coupled with Klein’s artwork you’re treated to something special. The story leaves you anxiously awaiting the next issue, and that’s all you can ask for from a good comic. This is definitely something that should be added to your pull list.

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The Godfather II

Published on April 26, 2009 in Games and XBox 360. Tags: , , , .

Electronic Arts is back with their second trip into the underworld of La Cosa Nostra. The Godfather II transports port us back in time to when the Mafia was at its peak and organized crime took in interest in any all and business ventures. Following the story lines we’ve come to love from the movies, Godfather II focuses on Michael Corleone’s expansion of his empire and all the people that helped him get him there.

The game starts with the infamous meeting of the families in Havana to divide up Hyman Roth’s empire. Unfortunately, the business is never concluded because the Cuban Revolution forces everyone to flee the country. You play as Dominic, a soldier of Aldo Trapani who happens to be the protagonist of the first Godfather game. As the revolution gets underway you’re tasked with leading Michael, Fredo and Aldo to the airport in an attempt to flee. Unfortunately Aldo is shot and killed by a sniper, but fortunately it means that you’re promoted by Michael into Aldo’s place.

The promotion comes with the task of reclaiming control of New York from the Rosato brothers. From there you’ll have to start your expansion of the Corleone family into Miami and eventually Cuba. All the while you’ll have to contend with rival families, federal investigations, CIA interference and a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro. It’s up to you to eliminate them, gain control of the criminal underground and make the Corleone family the strongest in the world of organized crime.

Being a game based on a movie there are sure to be a number of similarities to its namesake, of which there are, but there are also a few noticeable differences. The game makes Dominic instrumental in breaking Frank Pentangeli during the Senate testimony on the Corleone family, being the guy that delivers Vincenzo Pentangeli to the trial in the nick of time. Fredo also has a much larger role within the game than he ever had within the film, acting as a plot device throughout the story of the game. Unfortunately it didn’t mesh well with the films time line since it was while they were in Cuba that Michael let Fredo know that he knows that he betrayed him. The game has the the even occurring in Michael’s study towards the end of the game. Another liberty taken is the introduction of Tom Hagen as your Consigliere. Liberties aside, the story of the game is well thought out and meticulously laid out for you. The interaction between the characters is believable and makes the game play more enjoyable.

Speaking of gameplay, the Godfather II is head and shoulders above its predecessor on practically all fronts. A new feature, known as The Don’s View, allows you to view your property and that of rival families so you can plan where you want to strike. It gives detailed information of every venue, from the number of defenders, income, to the perks of owning an entire racket. The Don’s View allows you to plan and strategize the best course of action for taking over and defending your empire.

You’ll need to take over fronts that help launder money as well as the nine crime rings in the game, which provide bonuses to the family that owns it as well as providing an income. Once control over a business has been established you’ll need to shore up its defenses, either by keeping a made man present or allocating a number of guards. This constant flow of attack and defense is at the heart of the game and the very reason why it’s superior to its predecessor. Maintaining control of your empire is essential in your quest of expanding it. You need to keep the money rolling and the perks in tact.

Amassing your family of made men is also important because of their ability to specialize in a variety of different skills, from safe cracking, demolitions, engineering to medical. All of the attributes will help you take over and control the various businesses. You can also perform favors and gain information on a rival family’s family members so you can mark them for assassination and destroy their family from the ground up. You can also send your men to bomb an opponents business to serve as a decoy to a genuine takeover attempt of another premise or just disrupt their flow of income. The ability to control what your men do really makes the game stand out and is essential in expanding your empire.

The multi-player has your standard Team Deathmatch, a Demolition Assault mode which requires a demo expert to destroy objectives on the map, Fire Starter, which tasks your arsonists with setting blazes to score bonus points, and Safecracker, which obviously involves breaking into a number of safes arrayed around the map. An interesting mode is the Don’s Control, which lets two players wager cash on the outcome of their teams before guiding their team into battle. What’s really interesting is how you can use your made men within the multi-player modes and their experience there will enhance their skill levels within the single player campaign. You can take your Arsonist with a Basic skill level, play him enough that his skill can go from Basic to Advanced, and it will make him all the stronger within the single player game.

Visually, The Godfather II looks a lot better then its predecessor. The three distinctive areas, New York, Miami and Cuba all have their own unique and distinctive look that lets you know exactly where you are. You really get a sense of each area. The characters movements are for the most part fluid, but really stand out when performing an execution. The dialogue and line delivery is also well done, with plenty of strong language that you’d expect from a bunch of wise guys. The sound effects of weapons being fired, bombs exploding and necks snapping are also memorable.

While there are a lot of positives to the game, it’s also got its negatives. It’s too easy for anyone that’s played an action or strategy game before. Rival families won’t take that many actions against you as you start to take over their fronts and businesses, and if they do, they’ll only try to perform one offensive action at a time. You’re never really worrying about more then one thing at a time and you never have to worry about rival families ganging up on you. Perhaps the biggest negative though is its repetitiveness, constantly taking over businesses by attacking them in the same manner gets old after the 20th time. There are also some visual issues that crop up within gameplay. Characters will find themselves stuck on objects, within walls or each other. You’ll also notice a few glitches like texture pop-in and rendering issues which at times makes the graphics look last gen.

Overall, the Godfather II is a huge step above its predecessor adding in a lot of new and unique features that make it all the more enjoyable to play. The addition of multiplayer also puts a creative spin on using your made men to gain money and enhance their skill levels. Unfortunately, players will blow through the game because of its lack of difficulty in the single player campaign. While it’s still fun, it’s hard to justify purchasing it because once it’s finished it gives no incentive to return to it.

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Idiot of the Week – Pt. 190

Published on April 25, 2009 in Idiot of the Week. Tags: .

Beloit, Wis. (AP) – A teen allegedly broke into cars to raise money to pay a lawyer to defend him on other charges. A criminal complaint said a resident caught the teen inside his Chevrolet Camaro in his garage about 4:30 a.m. April 16 and tackled him and held him for police.

Officers found a GPS system, nine CDs and seven video games in his backpack. The criminal complaint said he took the items to help pay for a lawyer.

He was charged with felony burglary, possession of burglar tools and bail jumping.

The teen was charged previously with drug possession, disorderly conduct and theft of movable property.

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